“His Majesty’s Fort” © Bonnie Matthews Brock

 

The Habits We Kick

The habits we kick like anvils
across a football field.
Satan’s weight still holding strong;
Does he pull down our legs
towards the fire below the grass
or does he add a stone onto
the agonizing weight required to
push?

One endzone, on the other end, holds a kiln
Your endzone is comprised of a Monolith,
Its force enticing, magnetizing,
Drawing weighted balls and chains deceptive
Back beyond the 30, 50. 50 back
To Monolith to 20 30 back to Monolith
Legs aflame, a constant holding, dragging.
The kiln imposing holds its half of grass
Without effort placed. The charring Earth untouched
By steel or soles alike. Your 20 30
Back to Monolith.

A heat to torch to you from 100
Yards away. At most only half scaled
The treads of past attempts ingrained in dirt.
They burrow themselves into the ground.
He’s dragging them. The Monolith descends.

 

Nathan Bishop: “I’ve had an interest in literature since I was 16, and have been writing poetry more seriously over the course of the past four years. I’ve finished my second year at Wayne State University, where I’ve had the privilege of working under the tutelage of many great professors over that time. I’ve also been published in Wayne’s Literary Review. Living in a small town near Detroit informs much of my writing, but my battles with mental health issues arguably impact it much more. Most of what I write revolves around mental health in some way, and it has been a great form of self-expression that I intend on continuing to pursue.”

Bonnie Matthews Brock is a Florida-based photographer, as well a school psychologist. She loves hiking the urban and woodland trails of “anywhere” (and pausing often to shoot photos) with her very patient husband (and often collaborator), Ted. Her images have been featured on the covers of magazines such as Ibbetson Street, Wild Roof Journal, Poesy Magazine, Humana Obscura, and Arkansas Review; as well as on the pages of publications such as Oddball Magazine, Ember Chasm Review, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Beaver Magazine, and Lateral. Her works are archived at institutions such as Poets House NYC, Brown University, and Harvard University.